Private copyright registration and documentation systems around the world arguably constitute the
largest pool of information concerning copyright and related rights. Undoubtedly, these same systems
provide the greatest online free access of the same pool of information.
Private copyright registration systems collect, store, and manage relevant data as provided by
registrants. Traditionally, public registries contain data related to the works, the authorship, and the
rights of ownership; and, can often serve as reliable evidence to be used in a trial by right-holders.
Using a wide array of technological tools, private registries systematically collect such data and other
relevant information to offer guarantees related to the time of registration, the characteristics of the
registered works and the identity of the registrant (with a higher or lower degree of trust). Most
registries make this information (or at least a subset of it) available to the public.